JP6750253B2 - Ink jet recording apparatus and method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus that records an image on a sheet by an inkjet method, and a method for controlling the inkjet recording apparatus.

A known recording system is one in which an information processing apparatus transmits first data to a recording apparatus in response to receiving an image recording instruction, and then transmits second data based on information to be recorded to the recording apparatus. (For example, Patent Document 1). The recording device performs a preparation operation in response to receiving the first data. This preparation operation includes a capping release operation. The capping release operation is an operation of moving the ink droplets from the position covering the recording head to a position separated from the recording head.

Further, there is one conventional inkjet recording apparatus that keeps the cap separated for a predetermined time and waits for the capping operation after the image recording is completed. The capping operation is an operation of moving the recording head to a position where the cap is covered so as to cover the recording head with the cap.

Further, in another conventional ink jet recording apparatus, in order to drive a plurality of feeding rollers by one motor, switching of drive transmission is performed between one motor and a plurality of feeding rollers. In other conventional ink jet recording apparatuses, in order to record an image, it is necessary to switch the drive transmission of the motor to one of the feeding rollers.

JP, 2002-73300, A

In the above-mentioned one inkjet recording apparatus, when the first data is received while waiting for the capping operation, the capping has already been cancelled, so it is not necessary to execute the capping cancel operation. However, like other conventional inkjet recording apparatuses, in order to record an image, it is necessary to switch the drive transmission to one of the feeding rollers.

An object of the present invention is to provide a means for shortening the time from the user's instruction to record an image on a sheet to the actual execution of the recording operation on the sheet.

An inkjet recording apparatus, which is an example of the above-described means, includes a recording head that ejects ink droplets from nozzles, the recording head, and a recording area that faces the sheet that has passed through the conveyance path and the recording area. A carriage that can be moved to a non-recording area different from the above, a motor, a plurality of feeding units that feed a sheet to the conveyance path by transmitting a driving force from the motor, and the carriage located in the non-recording area A first state in which the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the predetermined feeding unit of the plurality of feeding units by the movement of the carriage, and the predetermined feeding unit of the plurality of feeding units A driving force transmission mechanism that switches a second state for transmitting to a feeding portion different from the above, and a cap that is movable in the non-recording area between a covering position that covers the nozzles of the recording head and a separation position that does not cover the nozzles. And a communication interface for receiving data transmitted from the information processing device , and a control unit. The control unit is a first data transmitted via the communication interface when the information processing apparatus receives an image recording instruction, and issues an instruction to move the cap from the covering position to the separated position. A first receiving process for receiving first data including the first data, a first determining process for determining the position of the cap at the time when the first data is received, based on the reception of the first data; Based on the determination that the position of the cap is the separated position by the first determination process, the second determination process for determining the state of the driving force transmission mechanism, and the reception of the first data, In the switching process for switching the driving force transmission mechanism to either the first state or the second state, the switching process is started, and the driving force transmission mechanism is in the first state in the second determination process. A second reception process of receiving second data, which is second data transmitted after the first data and includes an image recording condition, through the communication interface based on the determination that there is And execute. In the switching process, the carriage is moved to the non-recording area based on the determination that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the second state in the second determination process, and the driving force transmission mechanism is set to the second state. The state 2 is switched to the first state.

A method of controlling an inkjet recording apparatus, which is an example of the above-described means, is a first data transmitted in response to an image recording instruction received by an information processing apparatus, and a cap positioned in a non-recording area is mounted on a carriage. A first receiving process of receiving first data including an instruction to move the recording head from the covering position covering the recording head to a separated position separated from the recording head; and the first data based on receiving the first data. The position in the non-recording area is determined based on the first determination process for determining the position of the cap at the time when the data is received and the determination that the position of the cap is the separated position by the first determination process. The first state in which the driving force of the motor is transmitted to a predetermined predetermined feeding unit of the plurality of feeding units by the movement of the carriage and the predetermined feeding unit of the plurality of feeding units is Based on the second determination processing for determining the state of the driving force transmission mechanism that switches the second state for transmitting to the different feeding unit and the reception of the first data, the driving force transmission mechanism is set to the first state and the second state. The information based on the switching processing for switching to any of the second states, starting the switching processing, and determining that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the first state in the second determination processing. A second reception process of receiving second data which is second data transmitted after the first data and includes an image recording condition, which is transmitted by the processing device. In the switching process, the carriage is moved to the non-recording area based on the determination that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the second state in the second determination process, and the driving force transmission mechanism is set to the second state. The state 2 is switched to the first state.

According to the present invention, it is possible to shorten the time from the user's instruction to record an image on a sheet to the actual execution of the recording operation on the sheet.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the multifunction machine 10. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the carriage 23 and the guide rails 43 and 44. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the multifunction machine 10 and the information processing apparatus 140. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configurations of the maintenance mechanism 110 and the waste ink tank 120. 6A and 6B are schematic configuration diagrams of the switching mechanism 170. FIG. 6A shows a third state, FIG. 6B shows a second state, and FIG. 6C shows a first state. 7A and 7B are plan views of the lever 177 and the guide rail 43. FIG. 7A shows a state where the slide member 171 is at the first position, FIG. 7B shows a state where the slide member 171 is at the second position, and FIG. ) Indicates a state in which the slide member 171 is in the third position. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the process executed by the control unit 141 of the information processing device 140 when printing on the paper 12. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the process executed by the control unit 130 of the multifunction machine 10 when printing on the paper 12. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the processing executed by the control unit 130 of the multifunction machine 10 when printing on the paper 12 in the first modification. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a process executed by the control unit 130 of the multifunction machine 10 when printing on the paper 12 in the second modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following description, the progress from the start point of the arrow toward the end point is expressed as “direction”, and the traffic on the line connecting the start point and the end point of the arrow is expressed as “direction”. Further, in the following description, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the state where the multifunction peripheral 10 is installed so as to be usable (state of FIG. 1), and the front-back direction 8 is defined with the surface provided with the opening 13 as the front surface. Then, the left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction peripheral 10 is viewed from the front.

[Overall Configuration of Multifunction Device 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 (an example of an inkjet recording device) is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The multi-function device 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The multi-function device 10 has a printer unit 11 at the bottom for recording an image on one side of a sheet 12 (see FIG. 2, an example of a sheet) by an inkjet recording method. The printer unit 11 may record images on both sides of the paper 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a first feeding tray 20, a second feeding tray 22, a first feeding unit 15, a second feeding unit 34, a discharging tray 21, and The transport unit 54, the discharge unit 55, the recording unit 24, and the platen 42 are provided. The first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 22 are examples of a plurality of trays. The first feeding tray 20 is an example of a predetermined tray and a first tray. The second feeding tray 22 is an example of the second tray. The first feeding unit 15 and the second feeding unit 34 are examples of a plurality of feeding units. The first feeding unit 15 is an example of a predetermined feeding unit.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding motor 101, a conveyance motor 102, a carriage motor 103, a control unit 130, a driving force transmission mechanism 70, and a maintenance mechanism 110. Equipped with.

[First feeding tray 20, discharging tray 21, second feeding tray 22]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 22 are inserted rearward into the printer unit 11 through the opening 13 and mounted, and then mounted from the printer unit 11 forward through the opening 13. Be removed. The first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 22 are arranged in two stages in the upper and lower directions when mounted in the printer unit 11. The first feeding tray 20 is arranged above the second feeding tray 22. The first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 22 support a plurality of stacked sheets 12.

The discharge tray 21 is arranged above the first feeding tray 20. The ejection tray 21 supports the paper 12 ejected by the ejection unit 55.

[First Feeding Unit 15, Second Feeding Unit 34]
The first feeding unit 15 and the second feeding unit 34 include a first feeding tray 20 and a second feeding tray 22, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first feeding unit 15 includes a first feeding roller 25, a first feeding arm 26, and a first shaft 27. The first feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported at the tip of the feeding arm 26. The first feeding roller 25 conveys the paper 12 supported by the first feeding tray 20 in a conveying direction 16 toward a first conveying path 65 described later by the forward rotation of the feeding motor 101 (see FIG. 4). Rotate in the direction (that is, forward rotation). The first feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported by a first shaft 27 supported by a frame (not shown) of the printer unit 11.

The second feeding unit 34 includes a second feeding roller 28, a second feeding arm 29, and a second shaft 30. The second feeding roller 28 is rotatably supported by the tip of the second feeding arm 29. The second feeding roller 28 conveys the paper 12 supported by the second feeding tray 22 in a conveying direction 14 toward a second conveying path 66 described later by the forward rotation of the feeding motor 101 (see FIG. 4). It rotates in the direction (that is, forward rotation). The second feeding arm 29 is rotatably supported by a second shaft 30 supported by a frame (not shown) of the printer unit 11.

The transmission of the driving force from the feeding motor 101 to the first feeding roller 25 and the second feeding roller 28 will be described in detail later.

[First Transport Path 65 and Second Transport Path 66]
As shown in FIG. 2, a first transport path 65 and a second transport path 66 through which the paper 12 passes are formed inside the printer unit 11.

The first conveyance path 65 is defined by a first guide member 56 and a second guide member 57, a conveyance unit 54, a recording unit 24 and a platen 42, and a discharge unit 55 that face each other inside the printer unit 11 with a predetermined interval. Space. The transport direction 16 of the paper 12 in the first transport path 65 is indicated by a dashed line arrow in FIG.

The second conveyance path 66 refers to a space defined by the second guide member 57 and the third guide member 58 facing each other inside the printer unit 11 with a predetermined gap. The second transport path 66 is formed behind the first transport path 65. The second transport path 66 is connected to the first transport path 65 on the upstream side of the transport unit 54 in the transport direction 16. The conveyance direction 14 of the paper 12 in the second conveyance path 66 is indicated by a two-dot chain line arrow in FIG.

[Conveyor 54]
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the transport unit 54 is arranged upstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction 16 in the first transport path 65. The transport unit 54 includes a transport roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that face each other. The carry roller 60 is driven by the carry motor 102 (see FIG. 4). The pinch roller 61 follows along with the rotation of the transport roller 60. The transport unit 54 rotates in the normal direction by transmitting the forward rotation driving force of the transport motor 102. The forward rotation is the rotation in the direction in which the nipped paper 12 is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16.

[Discharge part 55]
As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge unit 55 is arranged downstream of the recording unit 24 in the first transport path 65 in the transport direction 16. The discharge unit 55 includes a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 that face each other. The discharge roller 62 is driven by the transport motor 102 (see FIG. 4). The spur 63 follows along with the rotation of the discharge roller 62. The discharge unit 55 rotates in the normal direction by transmitting the normal rotation driving force of the carry motor 102. The forward rotation is the rotation in the direction in which the nipped paper 12 is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is arranged between the transport unit 54 and the discharge unit 55 in the first transport path 65. The recording unit 24 is arranged above the platen 42 so as to face the platen 42. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39. As shown in FIG. 3, an ink tube 32 and a flexible flat cable 33 extend from the carriage 23. The ink tube 32 supplies the ink in the ink cartridge to the recording head 39 (see FIG. 2). The flexible flat cable 33 electrically connects a control board (not shown) on which the control unit 130 is mounted and the recording head 39.

The carriage 23 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44 extending in the left-right direction 9 at positions separated in the front-rear direction 8. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism 53 provided on the guide rail 44. The belt mechanism 53 is driven by the carriage motor 103 (see FIG. 4). The carriage 23 connected to the belt mechanism 53 that makes a circumferential movement by the drive of the carriage motor 103 can reciprocate in the left-right direction 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, the recording head 39 is mounted on the carriage 23. A plurality of nozzles 40 are formed on the lower surface of the recording head 39. The recording head 39 ejects ink from the nozzle 40 as minute ink droplets. The recording head 39 ejects ink droplets while the carriage 23 moves. As a result, the ink droplets are attached to the paper 12 that is conveyed by the conveyance unit 54 and supported by the platen 42, and an image is recorded on the paper 12.

The carriage 23 reciprocates within a range in which the recording head 39 can eject ink droplets on the paper 12 in the left-right direction 9 when an image is recorded on the paper 12. Specifically, the carriage 23 reciprocates in an area where the recording head 39 faces the transport path 65 above the transport path 65. Hereinafter, the area where the carriage 23 reciprocates during image recording will be referred to as a recording area.

Further, the carriage 23 is movable to a non-recording area on the right side of the recording area and the conveyance path 65 and a flushing area on the left side of the recording area and the conveyance path 65. The carriage 23 in which the non-recording area is located is shown by a broken line in FIG. The carriage 23 located in the flushing area is shown by a dashed line in FIG.

The recording area is an area where the carriage 23 is positioned when an image is recorded on the sheet 12 by the recording head 39. The non-printing area is an area where the carriage 23 is located when maintenance of the print head 39 is performed. Maintenance of the recording head 39 will be described later. The flushing area is an area where the carriage 23 is located when the recording head 39 performs flushing. The flushing will be described later.

[Platen 42]
As shown in FIG. 2, the platen 42 is arranged between the transport unit 54 and the discharge unit 55 in the transport direction 16. The platen 42 is arranged below the recording unit 24 so as to face the recording unit 24, and supports the sheet 12 conveyed by the conveying unit 54 from below.

[Linear encoder 52]
As shown in FIG. 3, an encoder strip 50 is arranged on the guide rail 44. The encoder strip 50 is a strip of transparent resin. The encoder strip 50 is installed in the left-right direction 9 by locking the right end portion and the left end portion thereof to supporting ribs (not shown).

The encoder strip 50 has a pattern in which light-transmitting portions that transmit light and light-shielding portions that block light are alternately arranged at equal pitches in the longitudinal direction. An optical sensor 51, which is a transmissive sensor, is provided at a position of the carriage 23 corresponding to the encoder strip 50. The encoder strip 50 and the optical sensor 51 constitute a linear encoder 52 for detecting the position of the carriage 23. The signal detected by the optical sensor 51 is output to the control unit 130 (see FIG. 4) described later.

[Detection unit 123]
As shown in FIG. 2, the detection unit 123 is provided in the transport path 65 upstream of the transport unit 54 in the transport direction 16. The detection unit 123 outputs a low level signal to the control unit 130 (see FIG. 4) in response to the absence of the sheet 12 on the detection unit 123. Further, the detection unit 123 outputs a high-level signal to the control unit 130 in response to the presence of the fed sheet 12 on the detection unit 123.

[Maintenance mechanism 110 and waste ink tank 120]
The maintenance mechanism 110 shown in FIG. 5 performs maintenance of the recording head 39. More specifically, the maintenance mechanism 110 includes ink and air in the nozzles 40, and foreign matter (hereinafter, collectively referred to as “these surfaces of the recording head 39 on which the nozzles 40 are formed”) attached to the nozzle surface. And the ink is referred to as “ink or the like”). The maintenance mechanism 110 sucks ink from the nozzles 40 of the recording head 39 and sends the sucked ink to the waste ink tank 120 through the tube 121. The maintenance mechanism 110 is arranged at a position directly below the carriage 23 located in the non-recording area.

The waste ink tank 120 is arranged below the movement path of the carriage 23. An ink absorber (not shown) is housed in the waste ink tank 120. The waste ink tank 120 can store the ink or the like sucked from the nozzle 40 by the ink absorber absorbing the ink. Although the waste ink tank 120 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 5 to show that the maintenance mechanism 110 and the waste ink tank 120 are connected by the tube 121, the waste ink tank 120 and other waste ink tanks 120 are not shown. It does not indicate the positional relationship with the constituent elements.

The maintenance mechanism 110 includes a movable portion 111 and a capping mechanism 115 having a cam mechanism 112 that moves the movable portion 111 in the up-down direction 7, a tube 121 through which ink flows, and a pump 113 that sucks ink.

The movable part 111 is provided with a cap 114 made of a rubber material. The cap 114 is provided below the carriage 23 located on the right side of the recording area so as to face the carriage 23. Specifically, the cap 114 is provided below the plurality of nozzles 40 on the lower surface of the recording head 39 so as to face the plurality of nozzles 40. The cam mechanism 112 is driven by the feeding motor 101 (see FIG. 4) and moves the movable portion 111 in the up-down direction 7. When the driving force is transmitted from the feeding motor 101, the cap 114 moves to a separated position where the nozzle 40 is not covered and a covering position where the cap 114 contacts the lower surface of the recording head 39 and covers the nozzle 40. The cap 114 comes into contact with the lower surface of the recording head 39 mounted on the carriage 23 located in the non-recording area as the movable portion 111 is moved upward. At that time, the cap 114 covers the nozzle 40. The cap 114 is separated from the nozzle 40 by moving the movable portion 111 downward.

One end of the tube 121 is connected to the cap 114. The tube 121 is a flexible resin tube. The other end of the tube 121 is connected to the waste ink tank 120.

The pump 113 is, for example, a rotary tube pump. The pump 113 is driven by the transport motor 102 (see FIG. 4) to suck the ink and the like in the nozzle 40 through the cap 114 and the tube 121, and discharge the ink or the like into the waste ink tank 120 through the tube 121.

[Ink receiver 119]
As shown in FIG. 3, the ink receiving portion 119 is arranged below the movement path of the carriage 23 and to the left of the left end of the platen 42. The ink receiving portion 119 is arranged directly below the carriage 23 located in the flushing area. The ink receiving portion 119 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape with an open top. An ink absorber (not shown) is housed in the ink receiver 119. The ink receiving portion 119 receives idle discharge of ink or the like from the recording head 39 called flushing from above. The ink or the like discharged from the recording head 39 is absorbed and held by the ink absorber.

[Driving force transmission mechanism 70]
The printer unit 11 further includes a driving force transmission mechanism 70, as shown in FIG. The driving force transmission mechanism 70 transmits the driving force of the feeding motor 101 and the conveyance motor 102 to the feeding roller 25, the conveyance roller 60, the discharge roller 62, the cam mechanism 112, and the pump 113. The driving force transmission mechanism 70 is configured by combining all or part of a gear, a pulley, an endless annular belt, a planetary gear mechanism (pendulum gear mechanism), a one-way clutch, and the like. Further, the driving force transmission mechanism 70 includes a switching mechanism 170 (see FIG. 6) that switches the transmission destination of the driving force of the feeding motor 101 and the conveyance motor 102.

[Switching mechanism 170]
The switching mechanism 170 is configured to be switchable between a first state, a second state, and a third state. In the first state, the driving force of the carry motor 102 is transmitted to the carry roller 60 and the discharge roller 62, but not to the pump 113, and the power transmission destination of the feed motor 101 is the first feed roller 25. It is in a state. In the second state, the driving force of the carry motor 102 is transmitted to the carry roller 60 and the discharge roller 62, but not to the pump 113, and the power transmission destination of the feed motor 101 is the second feed roller 28. It is in a state. The third state is a state in which the power transmission destination of the transport motor 102 is the transport roller 60, the discharge roller 62, and the pump 113, and the power transmission destination of the feed motor 101 is the cam mechanism 112.

The switching mechanism 170 is arranged at a position directly below the carriage 23 located in the non-recording area. As shown in FIG. 6, the switching mechanism 170 includes a slide member 171 including a main body 168 and a lever 177, driving gears 172 and 173, driven gears 165, 166, 167 and 191, springs 178 and 179. Mainly comprises a support shaft 180.

The main body 168 of the slide member 171 is a substantially columnar member supported by a support shaft 180 extending in the left-right direction 9. Further, the main body portion 168 is configured to be slidable in the left-right direction 9 along the support shaft 180. Further, the main body portion 168 supports the drive gears 172 and 173 in an independently rotatable state at a position deviated in the left-right direction 9 on the outer surface thereof. That is, the main body 168 and the drive gears 172 and 173 integrally slide in the left-right direction 9.

The drive gear 172 rotates by receiving the rotational drive force of the feeding motor 101. The drive gear 172 meshes with one of the driven gears 165, 166, 167. More specifically, the drive gear 172 meshes with the driven gear 165 as shown in FIG. 6A when the switching mechanism 170 is in the third state. The drive gear 172 meshes with the driven gear 166 as shown in FIG. 6B when the switching mechanism 170 is in the second state. The drive gear 172 meshes with the driven gear 167 as shown in FIG. 6C when the switching mechanism 170 is in the first state.

The driving gear 173 is rotated by the rotation driving force of the carry motor 102 being transmitted. The drive gear 173 meshes with the driven gear 191 as shown in FIG. 6A when the switching mechanism 170 is in the third state. Further, the drive gear 173 is disengaged from the driven gear 191 as shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C when the switching mechanism 170 is in the second state and the first state. ..

The driven gear 165 meshes with a gear train that drives the cam mechanism 112. That is, the rotational driving force of the feeding motor 101 is transmitted to the cam mechanism 112 by the driving gear 172 and the driven gear 165 meshing with each other to move the cap 114 up and down, and the driving gear 172 and the driven gear 165 are moved. It is not transmitted to the cam mechanism 112 because the mesh is released.

The driven gear 166 meshes with a gear train that rotates the second feeding roller 28. That is, the rotational driving force of the feeding motor 101 rotates the second feeding roller 28 by the engagement of the drive gear 172 and the driven gear 166, and the engagement between the drive gear 172 and the driven gear 166 is released. Therefore, it is not transmitted to the second feeding roller 28.

The driven gear 167 meshes with a gear train that rotates the first feeding roller 25. That is, the rotational driving force of the feeding motor 101 rotates the first feeding roller 25 by the engagement of the drive gear 172 and the driven gear 167, and the engagement between the drive gear 172 and the driven gear 167 is released. As a result of this, it is not transmitted to the first feeding roller 25.

The driven gear 191 meshes with a gear train that drives the pump 113. That is, the rotational driving force of the carry motor 102 drives the pump 113 when the drive gear 173 and the driven gear 191 mesh with each other, and the pump is driven when the mesh between the drive gear 173 and the driven gear 191 is released. Not transmitted to 113.

On the other hand, the rotational driving force of the carry motor 102 is transmitted to the carry roller 60 and the discharge roller 62 without passing through the switching mechanism 170. That is, the transport roller 60 and the discharge roller 62 are driven by the rotational driving force of the transport motor 102 regardless of the drive state of the switching mechanism 170.

The lever 177 of the slide member 171 is supported by the support shaft 180 at a position adjacent to the right side of the main body 168. Further, the lever 177 is configured to be slidable in the left-right direction 9 along the support shaft 180. Further, the lever 177 is projected upward. Then, the tip of the lever 177 reaches a position where it can contact the carriage 23 through an opening 164 (see FIG. 3) provided in the guide rail 43.

The springs 178 and 179 are supported by the support shaft 180. One end (left end) of the spring 178 is in contact with the frame of the printer unit 11, and the other end (right end) thereof is in contact with the left end surface of the main body 168 of the slide member 171. That is, the spring 178 biases the main body 168 and the lever 177 of the slide member 171 that contacts the main body 168 to the right. One end (right end) of the spring 179 is in contact with the frame of the printer unit 11, and the other end (left end) thereof is in contact with the right end surface of the lever 177. That is, the spring 179 biases the lever 177 and the main body 168 that abuts the lever 177 to the left. Further, the biasing force of the spring 179 is set to be larger than the biasing force of the spring 178. Further, the spring 179 biases the lever 177 in a direction around the axis of the support shaft 180, specifically, in a rotational direction in which the lever 177 moves forward.

The switching mechanism 170 is in the first state shown in FIG. 6C when the carriage 23 is separated from the lever 177. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7(A), the lever 177 is urged to the left by the spring 179 to contact the edge 164A on the left side of the opening 164, and rotate to the spring 179. By being biased in the direction, it is in contact with the front edge 164B of the opening 164. The position of the slide member 171 at this time (the position shown in FIG. 6C and FIG. 7A) is the first position.

The lever 177 pushed rightward by the carriage 23 is moved rightward against the biasing force of the spring 179. As a result, the main body 168 separated from the lever 177 is moved to the right by the biasing force of the spring 178. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6B, the lever 177 engages with the convex portion 169 protruding rearward from the edge portion 164B. As a result, the switching mechanism 170 changes its state from the first state shown in FIG. 6C to the second state shown in FIG. 6B. The position of the slide member 171 at this time (the position shown in FIGS. 6B and 7B) is the second position. That is, the slide member 171 moves from the first position to the second position as the switching mechanism 170 changes from the first state to the second state.

In the state shown in FIG. 6B, the lever 177 pushed rightward by the carriage 23 is moved rightward against the biasing force of the spring 179. As a result, the main body 168 separated from the lever 177 is moved to the right by the biasing force of the spring 178. As a result, the switching mechanism 170 changes its state from the second state shown in FIG. 6(B) to the third state shown in FIG. 6(A). In the process of changing the state from the second state to the third state, as shown in FIG. 7(C), the lever 177 moves the spring 178 along the inclined surface 164C provided at the right end portion of the edge portion 164B. Is guided backwards against the urging force in the direction of rotation. The position of the slide member 171 at this time (the position shown in FIGS. 6A and 7C) is the third position. That is, the slide member 171 moves from the second position to the third position as the switching mechanism 170 changes from the second state to the third state.

When the carriage 23 is separated from the lever 177 by moving the carriage 23 to the left in the state shown in FIG. 6A, the main body 168 and the lever 177 are moved to the left by the urging force of the spring 179. Be moved. As a result, the switching mechanism 170 changes from the third state shown in FIG. 6(A) to the first state shown in FIG. 6(C). That is, the slide member 171 moves from the third position to the first position as the switching mechanism 170 changes from the third state to the first state.

As described above, the switching mechanism 170 changes the state in the order of the first state to the second state, the second state to the third state, and the third state to the first state by the contact and separation of the carriage 23 with respect to the lever 177. That is, the transmission destination of the driving force of the feeding motor 101 and the conveyance motor 102 is switched by the carriage 23. In addition, the slide member 171 moves in the order of the first position to the second position, the second position to the third position, and the third position to the first position according to the state change of the switching mechanism 170.

[Control unit 130]
As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 130 includes a CPU 131, a ROM 132, a RAM 133, an EEPROM 134, an ASIC 135, and a communication interface 136, which are connected by an internal bus 137. A program for the CPU 131 to control various operations is stored in the ROM 132. The RAM 133 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data, signals, etc. used when the CPU 131 executes the program, or a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 134 stores settings and flags that should be retained even after the power is turned off.

A feed motor 101, a conveyance motor 102, a carriage motor 103, etc. are connected to the ASIC 135. The ASIC 135 generates a drive signal for rotating each motor, and controls each motor based on this drive signal. Each motor rotates normally or reversely according to the drive signal from the ASIC 135. For example, the control unit 130 controls the driving of the feeding motor 101 to rotate the feeding rollers 25 and 35 and drive the cam mechanism 112. Further, the control unit 130 controls driving of the carry motor 102 to rotate the rollers 60 and 62 and drive the pump 113. Further, the control unit 130 controls the drive of the carriage motor 103 to reciprocate the carriage 23.

The control unit 130 also controls the recording head 39 to eject ink droplets from the nozzles 40. Specifically, a drive voltage is selectively applied from a head control substrate (not shown) provided in the recording head 39 to a piezo element (not shown) provided corresponding to each nozzle 40. As a result, ink droplets are selectively ejected from the nozzle 40.

In addition, the ASIC 135 is provided with a timer circuit that counts elapsed time. Note that the elapsed time may be counted by executing a time counting program stored in the ROM 132 or the like. The timer circuit will be described in detail later.

The optical sensor 51 of the linear encoder 52 is connected to the ASIC 135. The CPU 131 calculates the position of the carriage 23 based on the detection signal from the optical sensor 51. Specifically, the control unit 130 determines the origin position of the carriage 23 by moving the carriage 23 and bringing it into contact with a frame (not shown) provided to the right or left of the transport path 65. Keep it. Then, the control unit 130 calculates the position of the carriage 23 by calculating the movement amount of the carriage 23 from the origin position based on the detection signal from the optical sensor 51.

Further, the detection unit 123 is connected to the ASIC 135. The control unit 130 detects the downstream end and the upstream end of the sheet 12 in the transport direction 16 based on the signal from the detection unit 123.

The communication interface 136 is configured to be able to perform data communication with the information processing device 140 such as a personal computer. For example, the communication interface 136 is configured to be capable of performing wired LAN communication, wireless LAN communication, USB communication, or Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication with the information processing device 140. The communication interface 136 receives the first data transmitted from the information processing device 140, as described later. Further, the communication interface 136 receives the second data transmitted by the information processing device 140 after transmitting the first data.

[Information processing device 140]
As shown in FIG. 4, the information processing device 140 includes a control unit 141 including a CPU and a RAM, a storage unit 142, an input interface 143, a display interface 144, and a communication interface 145. .. The control unit 141 centrally controls each unit of the information processing device.

The storage unit 142 is composed of, for example, a hard disk. The storage unit 142 stores various programs executed by the control unit 141. The various programs are, for example, application programs such as word processors and printer drivers.

The input interface 143 is composed of, for example, a keyboard and a mouse, and an operation signal is input by being operated by the user. The operation signal is sent to the control unit 141. The display interface 144 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display.

The communication interface 145 is configured to be able to perform data communication with the multifunction machine 10. The communication interface 145 is controlled by the control unit 141 to transmit the first data to the multi-function peripheral 10 and then the second data to the multi-function peripheral 10 as described later.

[Processing by Control Unit 141 of Information Processing Device 140]
Hereinafter, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8, the processing executed by the control unit 141 when printing on the paper 12 will be described. When the user inputs a print instruction (image recording instruction) through the application program, the control unit 141 executes the processing shown in FIG.

When the print instruction is input, the control unit 141 transmits the first data to the printing destination device designated by the user, that is, the multifunction device 10 (S110). The first data is data instructing print preparation. The print preparation includes a process of moving the cap 114 from the covering position to the separated position and a process of moving the carriage 23 to the flushing area, but may include other processes. For example, when the multi-function peripheral 10 includes a lock mechanism that locks the carriage 23 in the non-recording area, the print preparation may include a process of unlocking the carriage 23 by the lock mechanism.

Next, the control unit 141 converts the document data and the image data related to the print target designated by the user into the second data for printing on the paper 12 under the print condition designated by the user (S120). The second data is, for example, data expressing document data or image data in a page description language. The head of the second data includes data indicating the image recording condition. The image recording conditions are, for example, a tray supporting the fed paper 12, that is, a target tray that is either the first feeding tray 20 or the second feeding tray 22, the size of the paper 12, the number of printed sheets, And special printing (for example, enlarged printing, reduced printing, the number of pages printed on one side of one sheet 12), and the like.

Next, the control unit 141 sequentially transmits the converted second data to the multifunction device 10 (specifically, the communication interface 136 of the multifunction device 10 (S130). The control unit 141 controls the carriage 23 in the left-right direction 9). The second data is generated for each image-unit data (hereinafter, referred to as the second data for one pass) formed on the paper 12 by the one-way movement to (1), and is sequentially transmitted.

[Processing by control unit 130 of multifunction machine 10]
The processing executed by the control unit 130 when printing on the paper 12 will be described below with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 9.

Each process is executed by the CPU 131 of the control unit 130. Each of the following processes may be executed by the CPU 131 reading a program stored in the ROM 132, or may be realized by a hardware circuit mounted on the control unit 130. In the initial state, the carriage 23 is located in the non-recording area.

The control unit 130 waits until the first data transmitted by the information processing device 140 is received via the communication interface 136 (S210: No). The control unit 130 executes the first determination process of determining whether the position of the cap 114 is the separated position or the covered position based on the reception of the first data (S210: Yes) (S220).

The position of the cap 114 is determined based on the output signal of the sensor that outputs a different signal depending on the position of the cap 114, for example. The method for determining the position of the cap 114 is not limited to the method using the sensor described above. For example, the controller 130 may determine the position of the cap 114 based on the position of the carriage 23 calculated based on the output signal of the optical sensor 51 of the linear encoder 52. In this case, the capping mechanism 115 is configured as follows. That is, when the capping mechanism 115 is pushed by the carriage 23 that moves to the right, the cap 114 moves from the separated position to the covering position. On the other hand, when the carriage 23 moves to the left and separates from the capping mechanism 115, the cap 114 moves from the covering position to the separating position.

In response to the determination that the cap 114 is at the covering position (S220: No), the control unit 130 executes print preparation according to the first data. That is, the control unit 130 moves the cap 114 from the covering position to the separated position (S230), and then executes the flushing pretreatment for moving the carriage 23 to the flushing area (S240).

In step S230, the control unit 130 moves the carriage 23 to the right to move the slide member 171 to the third position, thereby setting the switching mechanism 170 in the third state (see FIGS. 6A and 7( (See C)), the driving force of the feeding motor 101 is transmitted to the cam mechanism 112. As a result, the cap 114 moves downward from the covering position toward the separated position.

In step S240, the control unit 130 moves the carriage 23 to the left from the non-recording area to the flushing area via the recording area. As a result, the carriage 23 faces the ink receiving portion 119. At this time, the slide member 171 moves to the first position as the carriage 23 moves. That is, the driving force transmission mechanism 70 is in the first state.

On the other hand, when the cap 114 is at the separated position (S220: Yes), the control unit 130 resets the timer circuit (S250).

The timer circuit starts timing when the recording process started when the control unit 130 receives the second data transmitted by the information processing device 140, that is, the recording of the image related to the second data on the sheet 12, is completed. To do.

The controller 130 performs a capping process of moving the cap 114 from the separated position to the covering position based on the timer circuit having passed a preset threshold time, and lowers the drive voltage applied to the recording head 39 to zero. And the voltage drop processing to be performed. At this time, the control unit 130 resets the timer circuit.

Here, the carriage 23 reciprocates in the recording area during execution of the recording process. Therefore, in the print preparation, the control unit 130 moves the cap 114 to the separated position (S220: Yes, S230). The control unit 130 moves the cap 114, which is the separated position, during the recording process to the covering position after a lapse of a predetermined time from the end of the recording process. It should be noted that the control unit 130 moves the carriage 23 to the non-recording area before moving the cap 114 to the covering position after printing is completed. More specifically, the control unit 130 moves the carriage 23 to the right to move the slide member 171 to the third position, thereby setting the switching mechanism 170 to the third state (see FIGS. 6A and 7( (See C)), the driving force of the feeding motor 101 is transmitted to the cam mechanism 112.

Further, in order to execute the recording process, the control unit 130 applies a drive voltage to a head IC (not shown) for driving a piezo element provided corresponding to each nozzle 40, and the voltage of the recording head 39. Is increased (S280 described later). The control unit 130 continues to apply the drive voltage to the recording head 39 during printing, but reduces the drive voltage to zero after the lapse of the predetermined time from the end of printing.

As described above, the controller 130 resets the timer circuit in step S250. That is, the control unit 130 resets the timer circuit based on the communication interface 136 receiving the first data when the cap 114 is at the separated position. As a result, when the cap 114 is at the separated position immediately after the printing is completed, the cap 114 moves to the covering position by the elapse of the predetermined time in the state where the first data for the next printing is received. You can reduce the possibility that you will end up. Further, as a result, when the driving voltage is applied to the recording head 39 immediately after the printing is completed, the driving is performed when the above-described predetermined time elapses in the state where the first data for the next printing is received. The possibility that the voltage will drop to zero can be reduced.

After resetting the timer circuit, the control unit 130 executes a second determination process for determining the state of the driving force transmission mechanism 70 (S260). More specifically, in the second determination process, the control unit 130 determines the current position of the slide member 171. Information regarding the position of the slide member 171 is stored in the RAM 133. More specifically, every time the control unit 130 controls the carriage 23 to move the slide member 171, the RAM 133 stores information regarding the instructed destination of the slide member 171 as information regarding the position of the slide member 171. The determination of the current position of the slide member 171 is not limited to the method described above. For example, the control unit 130 may determine the position of the slide member 171 based on a signal from a sensor for detecting the position of the slide member 171.

The second determination process is not limited to the method of determining the current position of the slide member 171. For example, every time the recording process is executed, the control unit 130 stores the feeding information in the RAM 133. The feeding information is information on any one of the driven first feeding roller 25 and the second feeding roller 28, or any one of the first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 20 on which the fed paper 12 is supported. Shows information about the outbox. The control unit 130 determines the state of the driving force transmission mechanism 70 from the feeding information stored in the RAM 133. For example, if the information about the first feeding roller 25 or the first feeding tray 20 is stored and entered as the feeding information, the control unit 130 determines in S260 that the state is the first state. Further, if the information regarding the second feeding roller 28 or the second feeding tray 22 is stored and entered as the feeding information, the control unit 130 determines in S260 that the state is the second state.

Based on the determination that the driving force transmission mechanism 70 is in the first state (more specifically, when the slide member 171 is in the first position) (S260: Yes), the control unit 130 causes the above-described The same flushing preprocessing is executed (S240). Then, the control unit 130 waits until the second data is received (S290).

On the other hand, based on the determination that the driving force transmission mechanism 70 is in the second state (more specifically, when the slide member 171 is in the second position) (S260: No), the control unit 130 causes the carriage 23 to move. The drive force transmission mechanism 70 is moved from the second state to the first state by controlling the movement (S270). More specifically, the controller 130 controls the carriage 23 to move the slide member 171 to the first position. Then, the same flushing pretreatment as described above is executed (S240). Then, the control unit 130 waits until the second data is received (S290).

As described above, the slide member 171 moves in the order of the first position to the second position, the second position to the third position, and the third position to the first position. That is, when the slide member 171 is in the third position, the control unit 130 moves the carriage 23 to the left and separates it from the lever 177 of the slide member 171 to move the slide member 171 to the third position by the urging force of the spring 179. Move from position to first position. On the other hand, when the slide member 171 is in the second position, the control unit 130 moves the carriage 23 to the right and pushes the lever 177, thereby temporarily moving the slide member 171 from the second position to the third position. After that, the control unit 130 moves the carriage 23 to the left to move the slide member 171 from the third position to the first position.

Further, in parallel with the processing of steps S220 to S270, the control unit 130 applies a drive voltage to a head IC (not shown) for driving a piezo element (not shown) provided corresponding to each nozzle 40. Yes (S280). As a result, the voltage of the head IC of the recording head 39 increases.

After that, the control unit 130 waits until it receives the second data for the first one path from the information processing device 140 (S290: No). The controller 130 determines the target tray based on the image recording conditions included in the second data based on the reception of the second data for the first one pass (S290: Yes) (S300).

Based on the fact that the target tray indicated by the image recording condition is the first feeding tray 20 (S300: Yes), the control unit 130 executes the recording process (S310). In the recording process, the control unit 130 executes flushing. Specifically, the control unit 130 controls the recording head 39 of the carriage 23 located in the flushing area, and causes the ink droplets to be ejected from each nozzle 40 in an idle manner. When the carriage 23 is not located in the flushing area, the carriage 23 is moved to the flushing area, and then the ink droplets are ejected from each nozzle 40 in an idle manner. Next, the controller 130 controls the feeding motor 101 to feed the paper 12 supported by the first feeding tray 20 to the first transport path 65. Next, the control unit 130 controls the carry motor 102 to carry the fed paper 12 in the carrying direction 16 by the carrying unit 54. The flushing and the feeding and transport of the paper 12 may be performed in parallel. Next, the control unit 130 controls the carry motor 102, the carriage motor 103, and the recording head 39 so that the image corresponding to the second data for one pass that is sequentially transmitted is printed on the paper 12. As a result, the conveyance of the paper 12 for a predetermined line feed, the one-way movement of the carriage 23, and the ejection of ink droplets by the recording head 39 are alternately executed, and an image is recorded on the paper 12.

On the other hand, based on the fact that the target tray indicated by the image recording condition is the second feeding tray 22 (S300: No), the control unit 130 controls the carriage 23 to move the driving force transmission mechanism 70 from the first state. The second state is set (S320). More specifically, the control unit 130 executes a switching process of controlling the carriage 23 to move the slide member 171 from the first position to the second position. As a result, the power transmission destination of the feeding motor 101 becomes the second feeding unit 34. Next, the control unit 130 executes a recording process (S310). In the recording process, the control unit 130 controls the feeding motor 101 to feed the sheet 12 supported by the second feeding tray 22 to the second transport path 66. Next, the controller 130 controls the carry motor 102 to carry the paper 12 fed to the first carry path 65 via the second carry path 66 in the carry direction 16 by the carry section 54. Next, the control unit 130 causes the sheet 12 to record an image in the same manner as described above.

[Effect]
According to the above disclosure, the control unit 130 executes steps S240, S250, S260, and S270 when the communication interface 136 receives the first data when the cap 114 is at the separated position (S210: Yes, S220: Yes). .. That is, the control unit 130 does not ignore the first data even if the communication interface 136 receives the first data when the cap 114 is at the separated position. Accordingly, the execution of the switching process can be started before the second data is received. In addition, steps S240, S250, S260, and S270 are executed by receiving the first data that is received earlier than the second data, so that the driving force transmission mechanism 70 is set to the first state (more specifically, at an early timing). Can set the slide member 171 to the first position).

In the above disclosure, the driving force transmission mechanism 70 is set to the first state by receiving the first data for the following reason. In this first state, the first feeding roller 25 can be driven, and the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 can be fed. The first feeding tray 20 is located above the second feeding tray 22, and is generally the tray most frequently used by the user. In other words, the first feeding roller 25 is also the most frequently used feeding roller. Therefore, in the above disclosure, if the driving force transmission mechanism 70 is automatically set to the first state by receiving the first data, the feeding from the first feeding tray 20 that is most frequently used can be realized at an early stage. ..

Further, according to the above disclosure, in step S240, the control unit 130 moves the carriage 23 to a position to the left of the slide member 171 at the first position, that is, a position closer to the recording area than the non-recording area. That is, the carriage 23 is moved to a position close to the position to be at the start of image recording. As a result, it is possible to quickly start the image recording on the paper 12 after the execution of step S240.

Further, according to the above disclosure, in step S240, the control unit 130 causes the carriage 23 to move to the flushing area. As a result, when flushing is performed before the image recording on the paper 12, the time to move to the flushing area can be reduced and the flushing start timing can be accelerated.

Further, according to the above disclosure, the control unit 130 resets the timer circuit based on the communication interface 136 receiving the first data when the cap 114 is at the separated position (S210: Yes, S220: Yes). (S250). Accordingly, when it is desired to maintain the cap 114 at the separated position, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the cap 114 is mistakenly placed at the covering position. Further, in this way, when it is desired to maintain the drive voltage applied to the recording head 39, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the drive voltage is erroneously dropped.

[Modification 1]
The control unit 130 may determine the presence or absence of the sheet 12 supported by the first feeding tray 20 in the process performed at the time of image recording, and perform the process based on the determination.

Hereinafter, with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 10, the processing executed by the control unit 130 in printing on the paper 12 in the first modification will be described.

The process in FIG. 10 is almost the same as the process in FIG. 9, and only a part is different. Therefore, in FIG. 10, the same process as that in FIG. 9 is given the same step number as in FIG. 9, and the process different from that in FIG. 9 is given a different step number (S410 to S430) from FIG. Has been done. Then, in the following description, a process different from the process in FIG. 9 will be described, and the description of the same process as the process in FIG. 9 will be omitted.

In FIG. 10, after the timer circuit is reset (S250), the control unit 130 determines whether or not there is the sheet 12 on the first feeding tray 20 before the determination of the state of the driving force transmission mechanism 70 (S260). The presence/absence determination process is performed (S410).

In the first modification, the control unit 130 determines the presence/absence of the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 based on the signal output by the detection unit 123.

For example, the control unit 130 issues an instruction to feed the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 to the first transport path 65, but the detection unit 123 outputs a high level signal even if a predetermined time has elapsed from the instruction. It is not output. At this time, the control unit 130 determines that there is no sheet 12 in the first feeding tray 20. Then, the control unit 130 stores that information in the RAM 133 to that effect. On the other hand, it is assumed that the paper 12 is detected by the detection unit 123 within the predetermined time from the instruction. At this time, the control unit 130 determines that the sheet 12 is supported on the first feeding tray 20. Then, the control unit 130 does not store no information. If no information is initially stored in the RAM 133, this no information is erased.

Then, in step S410 of the process when the printing instruction is received from the information processing apparatus 140 this time, the control unit 130 refers to the RAM 133. Then, the control unit 130 determines that there is no sheet 12 in the first feeding tray 20 based on the fact that the RAM 133 stores no information. On the other hand, the control unit 130 determines that the first feeding tray 20 has the paper 12 based on the fact that the RAM 133 stores no information.

The determination of the presence/absence of the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 is not limited to the method described above. For example, a sensor that can detect the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 22 is arranged. The control unit 130 may determine the presence or absence of the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 22 based on the signals output by these sensors.

Based on the determination that there is the sheet 12 in the first feeding tray 20 (S410: Yes), the control unit 130 executes the processes of step S260 and subsequent steps in the same manner as the above embodiment.

On the other hand, based on the determination that there is no sheet 12 in the first feed tray 20 (S410: No), the control unit 130 executes the second determination process for determining the state of the driving force transmission mechanism 70 (S420). ). More specifically, it is determined whether the slide member 171 is located at the second position. The determination is the same as in step S260.

Based on the determination that the state of the driving force transmission mechanism 70 is the second state (more specifically, when the slide member 171 is located at the second position) (S420: Yes), the control unit 130 causes the pre-flushing to be performed. The process is executed (S240). Then, the control unit 130 waits until the second data is received (S290).

On the other hand, based on the determination that the driving force transmission mechanism 70 is in the first state (more specifically, when the slide member 171 is not located at the second position) (S420: No), the control unit 130 A switching process for controlling the carriage 23 to change the driving force transmission mechanism 70 from the first state to the second state is executed (S430). More specifically, the control unit 130 controls the carriage 23 to move the slide member 171 to the second position. Next, the control unit 130 executes pre-flushing processing (S240). Then, the control unit 130 waits until the second data is received (S290).

According to the first modification, when there is no sheet 12 on the first feeding tray 20 (S410: No), the control unit 130 executes steps S420 and S430 to put the driving force transmission mechanism 70 in the second state. .. More specifically, the control unit 130 controls the carriage 23 to move the slide member 171 to the second position where the second feeding unit 34 corresponding to the second feeding tray 22 is the power transmission destination. When the first feeding tray 20 has the sheet 12 (S410: Yes), the control unit 130 executes steps S260 and S270 to set the driving force transmission mechanism 70 to the first state. More specifically, the control unit 130 controls the carriage 23 to move the slide member 171 to the first position with the first feeding unit 15 corresponding to the first feeding tray 20 as the power transmission destination.

[Modification 2]
The control unit 130 determines whether or not the type of the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 and the type of the paper 12 in the second feeding tray 22 are the same in the process executed at the time of image recording. The processing based on the determination may be executed.

Hereinafter, with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 11, the processing executed by the control unit 130 in printing on the paper 12 in the second modification will be described.

Note that the processing in FIG. 11 is substantially the same as the processing in FIG. 9, and only a part is different. Therefore, in FIG. 11, steps similar to those in FIG. 9 are assigned the same step numbers as in FIG. 9, and steps different from those in FIG. 9 are assigned different step numbers (S510). There is. Then, in the following description, a process different from the process in FIG. 9 will be described, and the description of the same process as the process in FIG. 9 will be omitted.

In FIG. 11, the control unit 130 executes the type determination process after resetting the timer circuit (S250) (S510). The control unit 130 executes this type determination process before the second determination process (S260) for determining the state of the driving force transmission mechanism 70. Further, the type determination process is a process of determining whether or not the type information of the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 and the type information of the paper 12 in the second feeding tray 22 are the same ( S510).

The type information of the paper 12 is, for example, information about the size of the paper 12. The type information of the paper 12 is not limited to the information about the size of the paper 12. For example, the type information of the paper 12 may be information on the material of the paper 12 such as plain paper or glossy paper. Of course, the type information of the paper 12 may be a plurality of types, for example, both size information and material information. In this case, the same type information of the paper 12 means that both the size and the material are the same.

The type information (information about the size) of the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 22 is stored in the RAM 133 or the EEPROM 134. The user operates the input interface 143 of the information processing device 140 or the operation panel 17 (see FIG. 1) of the multifunction machine 10 to specify the size of the paper 12. Then, the control unit 130 stores information regarding the designated size in the RAM 133 or the EEPROM 134.

The specification of the size of the paper 12 is not limited to that by the input interface 143 or the operation panel 17. For example, it may be specified by a sensor that outputs a different signal to each of the first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 22 depending on the size of the paper 12. In this case, the control unit 130 receives the signal output by this sensor, and stores information regarding the size of the paper 12 in the RAM 133 or the EEPROM 134 based on the received signal.

In the type determination process, it is determined that the type information of the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 and the type information of the paper 12 in the second feeding tray 22 are the same (S510: Yes). The control unit 130 executes pre-flushing processing (S240). Then, the control unit 130 waits until the second data is received (S290).

On the other hand, in the type determination process, it is determined that the type information of the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 and the type information of the paper 12 in the second feeding tray 22 are not the same (S510: No). ), the control unit 130 executes the second determination process (S260), or the second determination process (S260) and the switching process (S270). Then, the control unit 130 waits until the second data is received (S290).

According to the second modification, when the paper 12 in the first feeding tray 20 and the paper 12 in the second feeding tray 22 are the same type, the control unit 130 sets the state of the driving force transmission mechanism 70 to the current state. Maintain the state of. As a result, it is possible to prevent unnecessary movement of the slide member 171.

[Other modifications]
According to the above disclosure, in step S240, the control unit 130 moves the carriage 23 to the flushing area, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 130 may move the carriage 23 to the recording area without moving the carriage 23 to the flushing area.

According to the above disclosure, in steps S260 and S270, the slide member 171 is at the first position, and in step S240, the carriage 23 moves to the recording area closer to the non-recording area than the flushing area. Thus, in the recording process (S310), when it is necessary to drive the second feeding unit 34 based on the image recording condition, the carriage 23 is quickly moved to the non-recording area and the position of the slide member 171 is changed. It is possible to change from the first position to the second position.

Further, according to the above disclosure, in step S240, the carriage 23 is moved to the recording area closer to the flushing area than the non-recording area. Accordingly, when the flushing is executed before the image recording on the paper 12, the carriage 23 can be quickly moved to the flushing area. As a result, the flushing start timing can be advanced.

According to the above disclosure, when the cap 114 is at the separated position (S220: Yes), the control unit 130 resets the timer circuit (S250). However, the control unit 130 may lengthen the preset threshold time instead of resetting the timer circuit. For example, when the threshold time is set to 5 seconds, the control unit 130 may set the threshold time to 5 seconds to 10 seconds based on the determination that the cap 114 is at the separated position in step S230.

In the above-described embodiment, the multifunction device 10 includes two feeding trays (the first feeding tray 20 and the second feeding tray 22), but may include three or more feeding trays. In this case, the feeding unit is provided corresponding to each feeding tray. Further, in this case, four or more driven gears are provided according to the number of feed trays. Further, in this case, the slide member 171 can move to positions other than the above-mentioned positions in addition to the above-described positions (first position, second position, third position) according to the number of driven gears. Composed.

10... Multifunction device (inkjet recording device)
15... First feeding section 20... First feeding tray 22... Second feeding tray 23... Carriage 34... Second feeding section 39... Recording head 40... Nozzle 65... First transport path 66... Second transport path 70... Driving force transmission mechanism 101... Feed motor 114... Cap 130... Control unit 133... RAM
136... Communication interface 140... Information processing device

Claims (10)

A recording head that ejects ink droplets from the nozzle,
A carriage that is equipped with the recording head and is movable to a recording area facing the sheet that has passed the conveyance path and a non-recording area different from the recording area,
A motor,
A plurality of feeding units that feed a sheet to the conveyance path by transmitting driving force from the motor,
The first state in which the driving force of the motor is transmitted to a predetermined predetermined feeding unit of the plurality of feeding units by the movement of the carriage located in the non-recording area and the feeding unit of the plurality of feeding units. A driving force transmission mechanism that switches a second state in which the second state is transmitted to a feeding unit different from the predetermined feeding unit;
In the non-recording area, a cap movable to a covering position that covers the nozzle of the recording head and a separated position that does not cover the nozzle,
A communication interface for receiving data transmitted from the information processing device ,
And a control unit,
The control unit
First data transmitted via the communication interface in response to receipt of an image recording instruction by the information processing apparatus, the first data including an instruction to move the cap from the covering position to the separated position. A first receiving process for receiving,
A first determination process for determining the position of the cap at the time when the first data is received, based on the reception of the first data,
Second determination processing for determining the state of the driving force transmission mechanism based on the determination that the position of the cap is the separated position in the first determination processing,
Switching processing for switching the driving force transmission mechanism to one of the first state and the second state based on the reception of the first data;
Based on the start of the switching process and the determination of the driving force transmission mechanism being in the first state in the second determination process, the information processing apparatus causes the information processing device to transmit the first data via the communication interface. And a second receiving process of receiving second data that is transmitted after the second data and includes the image recording condition,
In the switching process, the carriage is moved to the non-recording area based on the determination that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the second state in the second determination process, and the driving force transmission mechanism is set to the second state. An ink jet recording apparatus that switches from two states to the first state. The predetermined feeding unit includes a tray that supports a sheet fed by the predetermined feeding unit and a sensor that outputs a signal depending on whether there is a sheet on the tray,
The control unit is
Based on the fact that the position of the cap is determined to be the separated position in the first determination process, whether or not there is a sheet in a predetermined tray included in the predetermined feeding unit among the plurality of trays. The presence/absence determination process, which is determined by the signal from the sensor, is further executed.
In the switching process, the presence/absence determination process determines that there is no sheet in the predetermined tray, and the second determination process determines that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the first state. Moving the carriage to the non-recording area to switch the driving force transmission mechanism from the first state to the second state,
The second receiving process is performed based on the presence/absence determining process determining that there is no sheet in the predetermined tray and the second determining process determining that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the second state. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, which is executed. The control unit is
In the switching process, the presence/absence determination process determines that there is a sheet in the predetermined tray, and the second determination process determines that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the second state. Moving the carriage to the non-recording area to switch the driving force transmission mechanism from the second state to the first state,
Based on the presence/absence determining process determining that there is a sheet in the predetermined tray and the second determining process determining that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the first state, the second receiving process is performed. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, which is executed. A first tray for supporting the sheets fed by the predetermined feeding unit;
A second tray fed by a feeding unit different from the predetermined feeding unit;
A memory for storing type information of sheets in the first tray and the second tray,
The control unit is
Based on the fact that the position of the cap is determined to be the separated position in the first determination process, the type information of the sheet in the first tray and the type of the sheet in the second tray are referred to with reference to the memory. Further execute the type determination process to determine the information,
The second determination process is performed in response to the determination that the two types of information are different in the type determination process,
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second reception process is performed in response to the determination that the two types of information are the same in the type determination process. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes a flushing pre-process for moving the carriage so that the recording head faces a flushing area after completion of the switching process. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit executes the flushing preprocessing in response to the determination that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the first state in the second determination processing. The control unit is
Counting processing for counting the elapsed time from the completion of recording of the image of the second data on the sheet,
In response to the elapsed time measured in the counting process reaching a threshold value, the carriage is moved to the non-recording area and the cap at the separated position is moved to the covering position to move the nozzle to the above-mentioned position. The process of capping with a cap,
The process of resetting the elapsed time or increasing the threshold value based on the determination that the position of the cap is the separated position by the first determination process. The ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims. The control unit is
Counting processing for counting the elapsed time from the completion of recording of the image of the second data on the sheet,
In response to the elapsed time measured in the counting process reaching a threshold value, a process of decreasing the drive voltage applied to the recording head to zero,
The process of resetting the elapsed time or increasing the threshold value based on the determination that the position of the cap is the separated position by the first determination process. The ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims. The control unit is
9. The switching process switches the state of the driving force transmission mechanism to a first state in response to the first determination process determining that the position of the cap is the covering position. The ink jet recording apparatus according to item 1. A method for controlling an inkjet recording apparatus, comprising:
The first data is transmitted in response to the image recording instruction received by the information processing apparatus, and the cap located in the non-recording area is separated from the recording head that covers the recording head mounted on the carriage from the recording head. A first reception process of receiving first data including an instruction to move to a separated position,
A first determination process of determining the position of the cap at the time of receiving the first data based on the reception of the first data;
Based on the determination that the position of the cap is the separated position by the first determination process, the driving force of the motor is preset among the plurality of feeding units by the movement of the carriage located in the non-recording area. The state of the driving force transmission mechanism for switching the first state transmitted to the predetermined feeding unit and the second state transmitting to the feeding unit different from the predetermined feeding unit of the plurality of feeding units A second determination process for
Switching processing for switching the driving force transmission mechanism to one of the first state and the second state based on receipt of the first data;
Second data transmitted by the information processing device after the first data, based on the start of the switching process and the determination of the driving force transmission mechanism being in the first state in the second determination process. And a second receiving process of receiving second data including an image recording condition,
In the switching process, the carriage is moved to the non-recording area based on the determination that the driving force transmission mechanism is in the second state in the second determination process, and the driving force transmission mechanism is set to the second state. A method of switching from two states to the first state.

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